Stealthy spy software snooping for years: Symantec

SAN FRANCISCO: Computer security firm Symantec on Monday said it uncovered stealthy software wielded as part of a years-long spying campaign, most likely by a nation state.

The malicious software, dubbed Regin, has a rare level of sophistication and has been targeting government agencies, telecoms, utilities, airlines, research facilities, private individuals and others since at least 2008, according to Symantec Corporation.

Attacks on telecom firms appeared aimed at getting access to calls being routed through networks.

“Regin is a highly complex threat which has been used in systematic data collection or intelligence gathering campaigns,” the Silicon Valley-based computer security firm said in a paper detailing the threat.

“The development and operation of this malware would have required a significant investment of time and resources, indicating that a nation state is responsible.”

Regin was found mainly in 10 countries, but more than half of infections discovered were in Russia and Saudi Arabia, according to Symantec researchers.